At His Side
by imthepunchlord
Summary: Marinette will always be there. Childhood friends au


**Self-indulgent childhood friends au, a** **An au idea Loosescrewslefty had.**

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Marinette laid in bed, listening to the familiar noises of the sleeping bakery during the long night. The rumbling snores of her Papa she could faintly here below. The hum of a car driving by. The soft chirps of her clock. The tired hum and occasional creak of her computer.

There was an alien sound tonight joining all of these, one Marinette wasn't used to listening.

The breathing of another laying right beside her. The feeling warm breath brushing over her cheek. The feeling a warm body lying close to her, the heat radiating off of him and brushing against her form, almost making the bed too warm, leaving her awake and restless. Even as her head felt heavy and her eyes ached and pleaded to close and let her drift to sleep, she couldn't join her friend in slumber.

Under the thin stream of moonlight shining down through her trap-door, Marinette spared a conscious glance to Felix.

The pale blond was still on her bed, hardly moving aside from the rise and fall of his sides as he slept. His eyelids twitched, dark purple bags under his eyes. There was an occasional twitch of his fingers as they gripped her shirt, unconsciously making sure that she was there, that she wasn't leaving.

Not that she would.

Not right now.

She tilted her head up, looking up to the shelf above her bed, where her sketchbooks and pencils were. Sparing a glance to Felix, she slowly sat up, careful to not rouse him. He's been so quiet, staring blankly outwards and not responding much to anyone. He just blinked when Papa ruffled up his hair. He didn't move when Maman pressed a kiss to his head. Today he just lingered in a trance, staying close to them all, always holding a small bit of their shirt like they were a lifeline.

She'll persist to stay that lifeline, to help however she could.

But she restless.

She didn't know what to do.

She couldn't bring herself to fall asleep.

She had to do something to occupy herself till sleep came.

It was almost always a struggle to fall asleep. There was always something that she wanted to do instead but bedtime always got in the way.

So she sought to do what she always did when she was having trouble falling asleep, occupy herself.

And that would come with sketching.

But as she rose up to reach for her sketchbook, Marinette jumped when Felix jerked up, his eyes snapping open. For once, his shadowed gaze with lit with dread, a fear shining in his gray pools.

Marinette quickly dropped down, pressing at his side, letting him cling to her.

"I'm here," she whispered into his hair, not moving as Felix pressed his face against her neck. "I'm right here."

He didn't respond, his breathing shaky, his body trembling.

"Did you ever fall asleep?" Marinette wondered, starting to weave her fingers through his hair.

Felix shook his head no.

"I couldn't sleep either," she said, pressing a kiss to his head.

Felix didn't answer, still holding onto her, keeping her close.

"I was getting my sketchbook," she gently revealed, twirling his hair around her finger, letting the strands slide off her finger. "I was going to draw till I fell asleep. Do you want to watch me draw?"

There was a slight nod from him.

Giving him another reassuring kiss on his forehead, she rose up and grabbed her sketchbook and pencil. She settled back down, both weary kids getting comfortable on her cat plush.

Using the dim light of the moon, Marinette started to draw.

Whatever she could think of, she covered her sketchbook in scribbles.

Clothing and accessories.

A dragon.

Cats.

A fox.

Felix's parents both had this fondness for foxes. Marinette never found out why. For Felix's sake, she drew out a lot of foxes. And cats. For her sake.

Marinette paused, staring down at her doodles sadly.

Felix's mother... she would love these.

The praise and warmth she would've sung at Marinette's drawings.

Marinette took a shaky breath, still having a hard time grasping that such a sweet woman was gone.

That Felix was left alone by her.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair at all!

Why did it happen?

Why wasn't he here?

Shouldn't he be here for his son?

Marinette tightened her grip on her pencil, making it creak from her angry grip. She jumped when she was nudged, looking over to see a sleepy eyed Felix eyeing her, watching her fume.

Marinette relaxed, sighing. She set her pencil down on the sketchbook and slid it away, making sure neither would accidentally poke themselves in the night with it. She pressed as close as she could to Felix, wrapping her arms around him in a firm hug.

A silent promise.

She'll be there for him.

Any time he needed her, she'll be there.

She sealed it with a kiss to his brow and leaned up enough to pull the covers over them.

With this, it can be just them.

The world and its sorrows didn't have to exist under these sheets.

There the two lay, taking in the heat and feel of the other, letting their eyes grow heavy as sleep finally came and took them away.


End file.
